Richard Be Thy Name
by Terri B
Summary: Dick Grayson (pre Nightwing) goes to Europe and Meets Richie Ryan (Highlander universe)
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Highlander or Batman any more than I own a car, bus pass, or condo in Tahiti. It's a depressing topic I'd rather not discuss...  
  
This is a crossover piece involving two characters I feel are a lot alike...Richie Ryan (who, though I don't deny the existence of HL season six and his death, we'll just say that it was a dream that MacLeod had after eating a bad pastrami sandwich) and Dick Grayson (lovable yet sometimes brooding ex-Robin ((pre-Nightwing)))  
  
  
  
Richard Be Thy Name  
  
Dick was dirty, tired, and cranky. He had ridden through Spain; too many memories of Gotham to enjoy the scenic countryside. It was around 7:00 when he saw a roadside inn, bikes lined the drive-busy night. He grumbled to himself. He parked his bike, grabbing his pack and gear. He headed into the run-down lodge. The bar was full of loud annoying people. Dick wanted nothing more than to shut the world out and sleep. He arranged for a room with the owner. His Spanish skills weren't spectacular but he understood that he had taken the last room but it would not be ready for another hour. He sighed to himself but took his things to a table in the bar. He sat there, trying to look engrossed in maps detailing his next days ride but several of the men took to notice of him. They chided him mercilessly. Dick remained calm, ignoring their verbal threats, he didn't speak for fear they would hate an American even more. The leader of this "brute" squad grabbed Dick by the collar, talking about Gringos and using swear words he didn't have the pleasure of understanding. The man was about to throw a punch when a guy stepped in front of him.   
  
"Hold it." He reasoned with a grin, "Now you really want to hit this guy, that's plain to see but from my standpoint I don't think he was looking at your girlfriend; Not that she wouldn't be a treasure." He smiles over at a woman at the bar. The leader looked even more pissed. "So we could handle it this way. I could let you beat the pulp out of him and you'd prove yourselves to your beautiful ladies, or we could just forget what happened and keep drinking. Personally I think I like the second suggestion better."  
  
The guy didn't think very long, he understood only a little in that sentence but must have decided that he liked the first suggestion better. He made a move for Dick but again the other guy stopped him cold. He used a kick to the thigh to bring the man forward and then knocked him out with a punch. The leader's men didn't attack; they picked up their fallen friend and dragged him out of the bar. The man turned to Dick with a bright grin. His looked to be Dick's age with short sandy blond hair. He had a pack and helmet with him as well.  
  
"I could have handled him." Dick growled.  
  
"You're welcome." The guy answered with a grin. He sat down without asking, staring at the maps in front of the other.   
  
"Looks like you got quite a day ahead of you. Let me guess, first trip to Europe, want to see the whole country in two weeks."  
  
Dick stared coldly at his uninvited guest, "Let me guess, second time to Europe, think you know everything. Am I close?" He said in mock enthusiasm, returning to his maps.  
  
"Touché." The other said less than brightly. He sat at the table for a little while in seeming deep thought.  
  
"Did you want something?" Dick finally asked, annoyance level to extremes.  
  
"Well now that you mention it. You've got the last room; a double room I might add, and seeing you're So personable I thought you might be looking for a roommate."  
  
Dick narrowed his eyes but the other persisted.   
  
"Look it's a favor ok. Consider it a friendship of convenience you get a most charming, intelligent, and street smart roommate, and I get to sleep in a bed for the first time in three days."  
  
Dick stifled a smile. The guy was interesting if not a pain in the ass. He rolled his eyes and nodded, praying that the guy didn't steal his clothes while he slept. Dick held out his hand, "Dick Grayson."  
  
The guy shook happily, his eyes shot up at the name. "Richie Ryan."  
  
"Richard?" Dick laughed.  
  
"Is there any other name?" Richie said. Richie gave him enough pesos to cover the room and they headed upstairs. The room was small but it held two cots and there was a bathroom. Richie looked to be in heaven.  
  
"Just how long have you been riding?" Dick asked as Richie sprawled on his bed.  
  
"Well I left Paris a couple days ago." Richie thought, "And I've been sleeping in the brush."  
  
"Why?" Dick asked, pulling out a t-shirt and pants to change into.  
  
"My girlfriend said the 'm' word and I freaked out a little."  
  
Dick smirked and Richie rolled his eyes. "Look she's great and everything but I'm way too young to even consider marriage yet. I don't know..."  
  
"So you left her high and dry?" Dick asked.  
  
"Hardly." Richie snapped. "All my friends seemingly take her side, even the lifetime bachelors, and she commandeered my apartment. What's your excuse?"  
He asked, blatantly changing the subject.  
  
"I've been riding as fast a possible for the past day. I'm tired as hell..you know same ole same ole." He shrugged.  
  
"What are you running from?"  
  
"What makes you think I'm running?"  
  
"Aren't you? I mean look at me...I can kick the crap out of a three hundred pound bruiser but I'm scared to live in the same city as my girlfriend who I actually love."  
  
"I had a big fight with the guy who raised me and I needed out. So I got on a plane, and now I'm riding my motorcycle until I can figure out what to do." Dick said quietly.  
  
"Sounds familiar." Richie smiled.   
  
"You need the bathroom?" Dick asked. He wasn't in the mood to talk about his problems. Richie shook his head.  
  
"It's okay, I'll wait."  
  
Dick took a short shower. He was half scared that he would emerge to an empty room, his bag and money taken by the stranger. He dressed quickly and opened the door to find Richie sitting in a chair, reading a copy of "War and Remembrance".  
  
"A little light reading?"  
  
"I'm a little behind. Must be a phase." Richie packed his book away and headed to the shower.  
  
Dick felt bad for misjudging the guy but checked his stuff just in case. He was in bed reading when Richie emerged.  
  
"I'll never take showers for granted again." He smiled.  
  
"Where are you from Richie? Originally." Dick asked.  
  
"Seacouver in Washington State." Richie answered. "You?"  
  
"I lived more or less in New York until I was eight and then moved to Gotham."  
  
"Rough town." Richie whistled.  
  
"You have no idea." Dick answered, visions of flying across the rooftops, fighting criminals ran through his head.   
  
"One of my friends I met back in Seacouver grew up on the streets there. She still gets flashbacks to 'Nam' proportions. I'm just glad I didn't get thrown into the system there. I'd probably be dead by now."  
  
"Thrown into the system?"  
  
"Yeah I've been in and out of foster homes since I was five I think. Spent some time in Juvie. I lived on the streets for a while; did a lot of stupid crap."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Con stuff mainly, anything to pay the bills. I wasn't very good at the breaking and entering stuff-thank goodness I didn't do drugs. I wouldn't have been able to afford it." He could tell Dick was looking at him strangely. He shrugged. "Hey I'm reformed."  
  
Dick eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Look if I wanted to steal from you believe me I could have done it several times by now. I'm over it. What about you? This guardian you're fighting with."  
  
Dick seemed distant, maybe too tired to fight not thinking about it.  
  
"My parents were killed when I was eight. He took me in and raised me. Didn't want to see me fall victim to the system. We've grown apart over the years. He's so damn controlling, so hard to please. He was my hero when I was young and now I don't even think I can be in the same room with him."  
  
Richie thought of MacLeod in that instant. MacLeod had been his guardian and his mentor for five years. Richie idolized the Highland warrior but after two times with a sword to his neck, he was weary of the man who taught him. He suddenly didn't want to talk about guardians anymore.  
  
"Where you headed tomorrow?"  
  
"I don't know. I thought about heading south, maybe to Portugal."  
  
Richie nodded. "Yeah I'm a big fan of warm places. They've got damn good food in Portugal."  
  
"That's what I heard." Dick yawned. He had been up since daylight and could not stay awake any longer. "Night Richie."  
  
Richie turned off the light that separated them. "Goodnight Dick."  
  
The two slept soundly until the sun shown faintly through the broken blinds. Dick sat up groggily, almost beginning to plead to Alfred to shut the curtains but then his memory seeped back to him. Richie eyes opened slowly. He was not a morning person but knew he needed to get an early start, Dick was already in the bathroom. He packed his book in the worn satchel he carried, pulled out a gray t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Dick came out of the bathroom fully dressed.  
  
"Looks like it's going to be a good day for riding." Dick said, packing up his clothes.  
  
"Sunny days are distracting. I don't get very far before I see something interesting to do."  
  
The two put on their leather jackets and gathered up their packs, heading out to their bikes.   
  
"Great" Richie mumbled as in front of them stood a line of the thugs, whose leader, he had knocked out last night. They were waiting for the two men to approach.  
  
"At least they had some sense to wait until they were sober." Dick said.  
  
"Lucky us. I don't suppose you can fight?"  
  
Dick grinned enthusiastically, "Don't worry about me Richie."  
  
The thugs were men of few words and simply charged the two riders. Dick was fast and he was able to take out two of the guys before they even came close to him. He was able to watch Richie, who seemed quite comfortable in the judo and karate skills he was using. Together they were able to take out twelve guys, they lay moaning on the ground.  
  
"Nice work Grayson." Richie said with a nod. "I think we should get out of here."  
  
Dick nodded, and the two ran for their bikes. The men were beginning to regroup. They were racing to their bikes as well. Richie and Dick sped out of the driveway into the Spanish countryside, followed closely by seven very angry Spaniards. Richie was leading, he took several close turns, spitting up dirt as he went, but Dick was astonished by the man's skill on the bike. After about an hour of sharp turns, dodging oncoming cars, and avoiding livestock, they finally pulled over to the side.   
  
"I think we lost them." Richie said with a gleam in his eye.  
  
"Yeah well, I think we're lost." Dick smiled back. The race had given him an adrenaline high he hadn't felt in a long time.   
  
"Well seeing neither of us had a strict destination, I'd say we're doing pretty good for 8 in the morning."  
  
"You're a half-full type of guy huh?"   
  
"Depends what's in the cup I guess."  
  
"So what now?" Dick asked.  
  
"Well we could follow this road, see where it leads, look at a map, or split up and go our separate ways. I wouldn't want you to miss finding yourself or anything."  
  
Dick was silent for several seconds. He didn't expect to travel with someone else in Europe. Richie seemed like a cool guy-they had a lot in common for meeting in a back-roads Spanish bar.   
  
"Do you mind riding together for a while?"  
  
Richie shook his head, "Too much time alone makes me brood. I hate that, it's a sign I'm an adult."  
  
"Crap, who needs that? How old are you anyway?"  
  
Dick couldn't read the tinge of emotion that shown through Richie's face, amusement, sadness; he couldn't tell.   
  
"23." Richie answered.  
  
"My God, same name, same age, same background. We could be twins."  
  
Richie snorted, "Except I'm way cuter. So are we heading this way or following the map."  
  
Dick got on his bike, "I'm getting into this whole recklace lifestyle. Let's just go." He put his helmet on and revved up the engine. Richie got on his own bike shaking his head before putting on the big black helmet.  
  
"I've created a monster." He said before the two sped on down the road.  
  
  



	2. A Tale of Two Richards

Disclaimer: I just like to write-no offense...This story arc is just one of those comparisons that I had to get down on paper. Maybe someone will agree with me.  
  
I previously posted this in the Crossovers section but it's basically a Nightwing story and it gives a little unfinished background to my new story "Line of Duty"  
  
  
A Tale of Two Richards  
  
Richie and Dick traveled together for several months; after a while they were able to read each other's thoughts pretty well. Richie wasn't necessarily carefree, he had his quiet moments but all in all he was the leader, the one to talk his way out of arguments, and the one to get Dick in all sorts of trouble. Dick was more reserved, he tended to be moody and occasionally Richie got him arrested on purpose so he didn't have to deal with the guy's latest brooding or his newest batch of corny jokes. Dick had always thought he had street smarts but Richie seemed to bring it up to a higher level. The guy could lie through his teeth and knew how to survive with nothing. Dick often saw Richie as a mixture between gang hood and kindergarten teacher.  
  
They made a loop through Europe. Richie liked to stop and check out the local culture; Dick wasn't so willing but Richie always found a way to drag him. They woke up many an early morning with splitting headaches.  
  
"What happened?" Dick asked groggily, rubbing the back of his neck. Richie, who always seemed to recover from his hangover quickly, was already dressed.  
  
"I seem to remember you dancing on the bar with that Isabella woman you met at the club." He laughed. Dick just groaned and ran to the bathroom to throw up. A half an hour later he was dressed and ready for another day.   
  
"Just don't fall off your bike this time...It's embarrassing." Richie said, memories of dragging Dick out of a thorn-filled ditch in Vienna always made him laugh.   
  
Dick and Richie rode around Europe and by June they had hit France. Richie and Dick argued constantly about Paris. Dick had wanted to see the French capital for ages, while Richie wanted to avoid the place like the plague.  
  
"Why don't you go to Paris, I'll go back to Prague. And we'll meet up later." Richie said.  
  
"For one thing, you're the one who has the apartment. And you need to work things out with this MacLeod or Maria, whoever's keeping you up at night."  
  
"I sleep." Richie grumbled.  
  
"When you're drunk...that's not healthy."  
  
"Fine." Richie snapped. "Here." He handed Dick his mobile phone.  
  
"What's this for?" Dick asked.  
  
"If I have to go to "gay Paris" you have to call someone in Gotham and let them know you're alright."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You might not have a conventional family-who does? But someone has to give a damn, so call them."   
  
Dick narrowed his eyes but Richie stood firm. He sighed and dialed the phone. Richie waited by his bike.  
  
"Wayne Manor." Came an older voice. Dick realized how much he missed Alfred, his eyes lit up though he tried not to show that to Richie, turning away as he spoke. He faltered over his words for a moment.  
  
"Hi Alfred." He began in a tiny voice.  
  
"Master Dick?!!" The older man said sternly. "Where are you? We haven't heard any word since you left."  
  
"I know..." Dick began but Alfred cut him off.  
  
"You have worried us to no end."  
  
"I know...I'm sorry. I'm fine Alfred." Dick said. He did feel bad for leaving home without telling Alfred. He and Alfred had always been close.   
  
Alfred had to sit down from the shock of hearing from Dick Grayson. It had been four months since he stormed out without a word. He missed the boy terribly. Bruce walked into the library when he heard Alfred's stern scolding. His eyes were wide, he mouthed Dick and Alfred nodded.  
  
"Where are you?" Alfred asked.  
  
"I'm in France." Dick said simply. "I'm going to be here a little while. Look...I just wanted to call and tell you I'm all right so don't worry about me." Dick wasn't sure what to say. He sighed "I've gotta go Alfred. Bye." Dick hung up the phone. Richie just shook his head.  
  
"What?" Dick snapped.  
  
"Real smooth." Richie nodded. He put on his helmet.   
  
"Can't wait to watch you and Maria battle it out." Dick snapped back and put on his own helmet. The two sped down the rural road towards Paris.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
